Asia, Nepal, Annapurna Dakshin Attempt

Annapurna Dakshin Attempt. Our expedition, composed of Martin Doyle, Lindsay Griffin, Dave Harries, Mike Woolridge, Katherine Slevin and me as leader, attempted the very difficult, unclimbed east buttress of Annapurna Dakshin (7919 meters, 23,683 feet). Base Camp was established on April 12 at 4180 meters in the Annapurna Sanctuary. Two or three meters of winter snow still lay at that altitude. Almost continuously bad weather hindered us for the next six weeks. Griffin and Tinker had the novel experience of clipping into a bolt left behind by Japanese on the only previous attempt on the buttress when all three Japanese died. On May 10, Doyle and Harries reached 6000 meters. Ropes were left in place, but further attempts were thwarted by illness. With little time left and the main difficulties still above, the route was abandoned. Griffin and Tinker made an unsuccessful attempt on the original east face-southeast ridge route but persistent snowfall dictated prudence.